Dr Michael Byrom is a cardiothoracic surgeon with specialised training and experience in minimally invasive aortic valve replacement; aortic surgery, mitral valve repair; all-arterial coronary bypass surgery, surgical left ventricular remodeling, and minimally-invasive thoracic surgery including VATS lobectomy. Dr Byrom graduated in medicine from the University of Auckland in 1999 before working at the world-renowned Greenlane Hospital Cardiothoracic Unit in Auckland. From there he started his training in cardiothoracic surgery before moving to Australia in 2007 to undertake his PhD with The Baird Institute. Dr Byrom completed his training in Sydney, then gained a yearÕs post-fellow training at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, one of the largest centres for cardiac surgery in England where he performed over 240 operations as the primary surgeon. During his time there Dr Byrom focused on techniques in minimally invasive cardiac and thoracic surgery, but also gained considerable experience performing aortic root and arch replacement, mitral valve repair, and left ventricular remodeling procedures. Dr Byrom's PhD studies at the University of Sydney, completed in 2013, involved a multi-disciplinary project between the departments of cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, biochemistry and physics, to produce two entirely new conduits for use in vascular bypass surgery. As a result, Dr Byrom gained unique insight into the design and optimal use of small- and large-diameter conduits for coronary artery bypass and aortic surgery as well as other biomaterials in use in cardiothoracic surgery. At the same time as his PhD studies Dr Byrom also undertook a Graduate Diploma in Surgery focused on biostatistics and epidemiology, and his research interests include the design of laboratory methods and animal models to advance translational research and bring benchside developments into clinical practice.